Patriots ahead of pack

AFC East foes have way to go

Credit: Matt Rourke

CIRCUS SHOW: The New York Jets might have too many holes to be competitive in the AFC East, but it will be fun to watch the drama unfold at quarterback with Tim Tebow (left) and Mark Sanchez.

The Patriots have been viewed as the favorites to win the AFC East nearly every season for the last decade, and that notion hasn’t changed this year. Coming off a Super Bowl appearance and a strong offseason in terms of personnel moves, the Pats are primed to chase after their fourth consecutive division crown.

Still, there’s some intriguing talent in the AFC East, even if a lot of it appears to be a ways from realizing its potential.

New York Jets

Last season’s most dysfunctional team added the league’s most polarizing character. Straight-laced personality aside, quarterback Tim Tebow seemed like a misplaced answer for the questions that plagued Rex Ryan’s Jets, who lost their way on defense and in the running game, which were their staples of success in 2010.

It doesn’t matter how minor Tebow’s role figures to be this season, either as a backup quarterback, special teamer or the facilitator of a gimmicky offense. His past stardom is unavoidable, particularly for a head coach who seeks out attention in one of the most intense media markets on the planet. Can Tebow’s personality help the locker room, or will that dynamic further disrupt their chemistry?

Either way, the Jets’ offense was historically bad this offseason, failing to sniff the end zone in the first three games. Quarterback Mark Sanchez has struggled to get in rhythm with his receivers, and running back Shonn Greene hasn’t developed as expected. Plus, the Jets’ decision to ignore an issue at right tackle this offseason bit them hard in the summer with starter Wayne Hunter’s benching and eventual trade.

Cornerback Darrelle Revis leads one of the league’s better secondaries, but the Jets’ front seven has to be better than it was last season, when they replaced key players with a young group that couldn’t attack the quarterback as consistently. They’ve shown improvements in the preseason, but the defense will have to be great while the offense figures itself out.

Unless Tebow can play outside linebacker, too.

Buffalo Bills

Buffalo landed the prize of the offseason in defensive end Mario Williams, and then paired him with Mark Anderson, who had 10 sacks last season for the Patriots. Whether the front office overpaid or not, the Bills possess one of the league’s most exciting pass-rushing tandems, and they could expose some shaky situations at right tackle in the AFC East.

Head coach Chan Gailey has put together a nice operation, and the Bills were one of the most surprising teams in the league last season, as they started 5-2 and were tied for first place in the division heading into November. That’s when a string of injuries, a lack of depth and a shortage of veteran leadership caused them to lose eight of their last nine.

Former Harvard quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, running back Fred Jackson and wide receiver Steve Johnson headline an exciting offense, though it can struggle with consistency. If Fitzpatrick keeps steadily improving, Johnson keeps his head screwed on straight and Jackson stays healthy, the Bills won’t have an issue scoring.

The Bills boasted a pretty good pass defense last season, and that will continue with Williams and Anderson. The problem, though, was against the run, where the Bills surrendered 2,224 yards (ranked 28th) and 19 touchdowns (30th). That’s less than desirable for any team, let alone one from a cold-weather city.

The Bills have the talent to make a playoff push for the first time since 1999 — they’ve finished below .500 seven straight seasons — so long as they can avoid another rash of injuries. The signing of Williams showed the players that ownership and the front office believe they’ve got a good thing going, which can sometimes be enough for a spark. They had that last season before things unraveled.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins got Chad Johnson to change his name. They couldn’t get him to change the direction of his career.

Keeping with the theme of owner Stephen Ross’ recent history, the Dolphins were all about the big splashes this offseason. They added Johnson for a short while and appeared on HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” all of which came after their hard courtship of quarterback Peyton Manning.

Now that the team-building process is complete, they’ve got first-round pick Ryan Tannehill leading the show at quarterback. Though very raw, Tannehill emerged as the starter in a competition that included Matt Moore and David Garrard, who fell off the pace due to injury. Moore’s teammates responded to him last season, but Tannehill’s potential was too heavy to ignore.

New coach Joe Philbin has also been able to flex his muscle, cutting Johnson and trading cornerback Vontae Davis, whose unquestionable talent wasn’t always achieved due to subpar work ethic and leadership characteristics. Now, with any new coach, Philbin has to face the challenge of getting his team to respond.

The offensive line has improved around star left tackle Jake Long, but Tannehill lacks weapons, aside from running back Reggie Bush, who must repeat his career year (1,086 rushing yards, 43 receptions, seven total touchdowns) for Tannehill to be comfortable.

The defense has some interesting talent in the front seven, led by pass rusher Cameron Wake and valued leader Karlos Dansby, and they have transitioned to a 4-3 under the new coaching regime. Still, is there enough around them to compensate for a developing offense?

The Dolphins appear to be heading in the right direction now that they’ve identified their quarterback of the future, but they figure to struggle in the present.